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Nariko
Nariko is the main protagonist of ''Heavenly Sword'' and the wielder of the weapon of the same name. As the main protagonist, Nariko appears in nearly every single checkpoint in the game, with the exception of a few where Kai is controlled. She also makes appearances in The Animation Series as well as the 2014 film adaptation of the video game and the 2012 video game PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. 'Biography' 'Early Life' Nariko was born to Shen and her mother 23 years prior to the events of Heavenly Sword, in the Year of the Fire-Horse on the fifth day. According to her clan's prophecy, a male was destined to be born that year and lead his clan into an unprecedented era of peace and prosperity. However, when a girl - Nariko - was born, and her mother died shortly thereafter, the clan believed the gods had forsaken them, and that they were cursed and doomed to impending destruction. Nariko became a pariah among her own people, when, in her eyes she "should have been their princess." Shen was the only person who seemed to care for her, albeit in a remote, distanced way, until Kai. Shen would tutor Nariko in the ways of the warrior. She would prove to be an excellent pupil, to the point where she is the best fighter in the clan by the events of Heavenly Sword. Several years before the game, Nariko came across Kai, the last member of a clan slaughtered by Flying Fox on orders from King Bohan. The clan took the orphaned girl into their ranks and treated her as one of their own. It was Nariko, however, who developed a deep relationship with Kai, seeing similarities between them in that they both lost their mothers and were outcasts amongst the clan. By the time Heavenly Sword takes place, the two are as close as sisters, willing to risk their lives for one another, if necessary. in Speed Stance.]] 'Events of ''Heavenly Sword At the beginning of the game, Nariko is fighting the onslaught of Bohan's military, slaying any soldier that comes into contact with her. This stage, which reappears in a later Chapter, teaches the player how to attack and use Superstyles, specialized combos that deal damage to large amounts of enemies. Eventually, a red haze will form around the game screen, and a heartbeat can be heard; this indicates that Nariko is near death. The following cutscene depicts Nariko surrounded by enemies, with Bohan looking on in the background. During this scene, Nariko narrates, stating that her clan believed the Sword was forged by the gods for the gods, and that no mortal can wield it without losing their life. This statement is proven to be correct, as runes from the Sword begin to overtake her, sapping her health until she finally succumbs to the Sword's immense power. Bohan sends the Raven King to retrieve the sword, and Nariko passes on, saying that, "the pact is at the end." As she lies dead on the ground, a white light imbues the ground beneath her body, and the camera pans out to the sky above, where she continues to narrate. Nariko's spirit is transported to an otherworldly realm, which is later revealed to be the Heavenly Sword's version of Purgatory; it is also the game's main menu. The following cutscenes featured in this realm are flashbacks of the events that transpired over the course of just five days, relayed in Chapters. '''Chapter One - Five Days Ago After a heated monologue with the Sword, players begin the game in earnest Five Days Ago, in the scene The Art of Battle. The beginning cut scene features Nariko describing King Bohan and his war against her clan in her opinion. Bohan seeks the Heavenly Sword, and with it, his control over her people. Nariko and clansmen have fled his might for months, but she explains that they "cannot run forever." Kai, Shen and Nariko, along with the rest of the clan, barricade themselves within a fortress, in the hopes that they will be able to hold out against Bohan's rapidly advancing army. Nariko feels that the fort is a trap, while Shen, the clan leader and Nariko's father, disagrees, leading to a brief but definitive argument; this quarrel is one of several times the characters will come into conflict. The clansmen proceed to bar the doors, to no avail; the enemy soldiers begin scaling the walls, and Nariko must hurry to help her kinsmen. It is at this point that players assume control over Nariko in a level for the first time. Players are introduced to interacting with the environment (X button), combos, the Glyph Meter, Blocking (automatic against Speed Attacks), Counters, Heavenly Pots (which restore Health as well as adding to Glyph Meter), and much more. Players also receive much more insight about her life from Nariko through her narration, as she reveals that she fears that her father holds her to blame for the clan's curse and the death of her mother. After the defeat of Bohan's soldiers that day, Shen tasks Kai, the clan's best archer, to keep watch for the night, with her responding excitedly, calling it, "Twing-Twang". That evening, Bohan's soldiers attempt to sneak into the fortress, in an effort to slaughter the clan as they slumber. Players control Kai and are introduced to "Aftertouch", the ability to guide arrows and other projectiles to a target in Heavenly Sword. If the players just so happen to miss a target or two during this level, Night Attack, players will assume control of Nariko, who will proceed to clear out the stragglers with her Longsword. She then says (presumably to Bohan) to give the slain soldiers a dignified burial, and the game goes to cutscene. Nariko gives the player more info on her life, this time explaining that she must now protect the Heavenly Sword, and that her life will change forever. .]] 'Chapter One - Four Days Ago' Nariko is featured the following morning being called to arms by her father. After climbing the ladders and heading up to the balcony, Shen explains that the clan is escaping, and that it is Nariko's task to cover them as they go. This initiates the scene Dawn Siege. Bohan has reinforced his troops with catapults, and Nariko must use the fort's cannon to destroy them. There are three total, which you must eliminate before completing the second half of this stage. The contraptions are relatively easy to hit; weak points on the catapults are marked with orange shields. Players can use the Aftertouch ability to guide cannonballs to their desired destination. Once the three main shields have been dealt with accordingly, a fourth shield will appear in the middle of the catapult. Hitting this will cause the catapult to collapse. A timer will appear, which displays how long it is before Bohan's forces overrun the fortress. After the catapults have been destroyed, Shen will explain to Nariko that she will need to cover their backs with cannon fire, but to also remember to head east with the Sword if she sees catapults. Now not only is there a timer, but also a kill count, depicting how many of Bohan's soldiers need to be slain before continuing the level. The counter is also quite easy to fill; a large contingent of Bohan's men will start heading west and cross right in front of the fort, meaning the player can easily rack up the necessary body count to proceed. Once players complete this stage of the scene, Nariko will spot a catapult in the distance, and, heeding Shen's words, makes haste to escape. She manages to desert the fort just seconds before it is set ablaze by the war machines, and begins heading towards the eastern cliffs. Nariko continues through the forest, dispersing of any of Bohan's soldiers that may stand to get in her way. Along the way, she will spot a raven roosting on the top of a gate as she makes her way through, which plays into the storyline later in the game. Finally, she reaches a clearing, where she discovers that her father has been captured by Bohan and a nearby bridge has fallen into disrepair, making escape impossible. With little choice as to what she has to do, Nariko, despite the warnings of her father, unsheathes the Heavenly Sword and wields it against Bohan's army. Nariko is able to use the Sword in one of three modes: Speed Stance, Power Stance, and Range Stance, whose attacks are indicated with different colors (blue for Speed, orange for Power, etc.). Nariko hacks and slashes her way through three waves of Bohan's soldiers, much to Bohan's chagrin. However, Nariko soon realizes that she can't defeat the onslaught of Bohan's men, and so in an almost suicidal act of desperation, she sheathes the Sword and hurls herself off the cliff. .]] 'Chapter Two - Three Days Ago' Nariko awakes to find Kai caring for her, as her adopted sister had found her while she made her own separate escape. Kai informs Nariko that Bohan has captured Shen and the rest of the clan, and Nariko vows to save her father. Over the next three scenes, Nariko hacks and slashes her through Bohan's men, leaving a trail of bodies in her wake before finally reaching Flying Fox. This is the first of two duels between the characters, with this one not having a clear indication of who is the victor. Flying Fox proclaims that Nariko needs more 'Style' before she goes about battling him again and proceeds to flee the scene of the fight. Nariko continues her trek, fighting her way through more of Bohan's soldiers before arriving at the Prison. Once there, Nariko slays a contingent of guards stationed in the facility and liberates her captured clansmen. They inform her that Shen is not with them at the Prison; rather, Whiptail has taken him captive and is holding him hostage. Despite the warnings of her clansmen, Nariko continues her trek, making her way to Whiptail's lair. This turns out to be an ambush, though in vain as Nariko handles Whiptail's soldiers with relative ease. Nariko then discovers Shen, his lifeless body hanging from a post after being subjected to various tortures and torments by the snake-maiden. After a brief cutscene entailing Nariko's revival of her father, followed by Shen's contemplation of murdering an infant Nariko, accompanied by Whiptail's taunts, Nariko instructs her father to escape with the clan while she battles Whiptail. The fight is actually broken into two separate sections; one immediately following the cutscene, and one after Shen's Escape, in which Nariko finally defeats Whiptail, though she becomes incapacitated in the process. At the end of this scene, Whiptail is shown to be dying on the ground next to Nariko, who is slipping in and out of consciousness. Bohan is then depicted kneeling next to Whiptail, soothing her and offering her comfort before violently snapping her neck and retrieving the Sword. Nariko then finally falls unconscious, to the sound of Bohan's laughter. 'Chapter Three - Two Days Ago' Nariko is bound and taken prisoner, awakening in the dungeons of Bohan's castle. Subject to physical harassment by Bohan's massive son Roach, who amuses himself by tickling her, and sexual harassment by Bohan, who attempts to make risque advances towards Nariko while also suggesting that further struggles would be pointless, Nariko nevertheless reaffirms her determination to kill her captors, after which a smug Bohan decides to first lock her in a jail cell before placing her in a gladiatorial pit against her own clansmen. However, Kai manages to discover her cell, with , overlooking Bohan's castle.]]Nariko then imploring Kai to retrieve the Sword to facilitate her escape. Once Nariko and the rest of her clan are placed in the pit, Bohan orders them to battle each other in a free-for-all brawl in which the last person standing will live. In the ensuing chaos, the Nariko can perform stun attacks on her clansmen to incapacitate them without causing harm. Eventually, she is the only one left standing; however, Bohan decides to extend the match by forcing her to combat one of Roach's "pets", an Oranguman. After defeating the first, five more Orangumen are simultaneously unleashed to overwhelm her, forcing Nariko to go on the defensive. However, by this point Kai has retrieved the Sword and delivers it to Nariko, who then uses the weapon to slay all of the pets. Frustrated by her victory and the Sword's theft, Bohan then orders his son Roach to kill her. In the ensuing battle, Nariko sharply mocks Roach's lack of wit, much to Bohan's annoyance. Despite Roach's massive bulk and brute force, Nariko outfights and defeats him; an infuriated Bohan, who declares his son an "utter failure," proceeds to flee the now-crumbling arena. The sharp words lead Roach into a sobbing fit and, in an act of pity, Nariko turns and leaves without delivering the killing blow. 'Chapter Four - One Day Ago' As she makes her way out of Bohan's arena, Nariko once again encounters Kai, who pleads with her for them to escape as quickly as possible. It seems Kai's urgency is well-founded, as immediately after a small, curved blade slices into Kai's shoulder, causing her to cry out in pain. It is revealed to Nariko what players have already known for a few checkpoints by now: Flying Fox has given chase to Kai, with the intent to kill her, but not before tormenting her as much as possible. Nariko commands Flying Fox to leave Kai be, to which Fox only replies by pointing his finger at her menancingly before using the bladed wings on his back to fly after Kai. During the entire course of Chapter Four, players control Nariko in pursuit of Flying Fox, with the intent of rescuing Kai before he can reach her to murder her like he did her mother years earlier. This chase leads Nariko over multiple bridges, ancient and ruined temples, and even a troupe of Bohan's soldiers gathering Orangumen before finally reaching Flying Fox's lair. However, much to Nariko's horror and dismay, it appears Flying Fox has already succeeded in his goal: Kai's lifeless body now hangs from a makeshift noose inside his home, a giant bird cage. Overcome with grief and enraged at the loss of the one person she truly cared about, Nariko proceeds to fight Flying Fox with a ferocity unseen until this point in the game; however, it becomes quite evident Flying Fox was holding back significantly in their first battle, as no matter what the player does at this point, Nariko is outmatched. Just when it seems Flying Fox is victorious, a cutscene pans to Kai, who is miraculously still alive even after being lynched from the cage's highest point. Using every ounce of her remaining strength, she raises her crossbow and shoots Flying Fox in the head, saving Nariko and finally avenging her mother's death, before dying herself. As Flying Fox's lifeless body falls out of his lair, Nariko rushes over to Kai, pulling her down from the noose and carrying her body to safety. For the remainder of the day, Nariko makes the journey back to her clan's territories, where she meets her father outside the clan's final holding. Making note of the raven that has been following her this entire time, Nariko agrees with Shen that the time for fleeing has come to an end, and that it's now-or-never for her people. Vowing to fight to a standstill, Nariko shouts to the raven to inform Bohan of their plans before preparing for the final invasion the following day. Chapter Five - The Final Battle .]]The day begins with a cutscene switching between the leaders of the two sides giving heroic speeches to their respective armies; Shen, on the one, lauds his clansmen as great fighters, while also acknowledging Nariko as the greatest of them all in a rare instance of complimenting her, while Bohan, in the other, spews rhetoric on "cleansing the kingdom" of various degenerates, including that "hell-hag" who, according to him, wants to "sink her slavering jaws into his sacred genitals." Nariko gives players thoughts of her father and battle before the fighting begins, as well as stating that she wants Kai to have a chance at a peaceful life: "that is worth dying for." After this solemn moment, players once again assume control of Nariko in combat, this time in an instance similar to that of Dawn Siege, where they must destroy advancing Catapults and explosives with one of the clan's cannons. Despite a valiant effort by Nariko to stem the tide of Bohan's soldiers, she eventually runs out of ammunition, causing her to run to Shen to figure out what to do next. It is during this time that Shen finally speaks to Nariko about their relationship: he admits that in his decision to be her tutor, Shen neglected to be her father. Nariko, initially taken aback by the comment, replies with amounts to forgiveness, stating that "If you hadn't I would've died long ago." With this, Nariko and Shen proceed to fend off multiple waves of hang-gliding female soldiers sent by Bohan to breach their defenses. However, it is for naught; the soldiers manage to find their way into the clan's stronghold and set off explosives to distract the clan while Bohan's Catapults continue to advance. With no artillery to aid, Nariko must now descend onto the desert plains and take out the Catapults with the aid of the Heavenly Sword. Armed with a Rocket Launcher, Nariko laments on what she has become as a warrior, before proceeding to weaken Bohan's troops dramatically with her actions. It appears that the clan has finally won; Bohan's men begin retreating and they have been severely weakened at the hands of Nariko. However, it is quickly revealed that this is simply because a much larger force, being led by Bohan himself, is behind this smaller one. Nariko and the clansmen begin retreating to the fort, desperately trying to avoid the barrage of fire-laden rocks being launched by more of Bohan's Catapults. In the process, a rock hits a section of the fort where Shen and Kai were located; Nariko screams at them to get out, to no avail. Players are then returned to the cutscene featured at the beginning of the game; Nariko is surrounded by Bohan's troops when the Sword's runes begin to overtake her body, sapping her life force until she falls to the ground, dead. However, this is where things begin to differ. Chapter Six - The Heavenly Warrior Once again in Purgatory, Nariko begins a long, impassioned rant directed at the Sword. Beginning by stating that it's time the weapon listen to her, instead of her listening to people who believed in it, Nariko explains that if she dies due to the Sword's honoring of the pact, her clan will be annihilated by Bohan's armies. Should this come to pass, Bohan, witnessing what happened to Nariko after she used the Sword for less than a week, will instead simply put the Sword behind a display case and it will "become a rusting spoil of war." Nariko, knowing that the Sword thirsted for the blood of the enemies vanquished by its wielder, explains that, with it simply being a trophy, it will eventually be forgotten and "die" because of its lack of use. Finally, Nariko explains that "I'm all you've the Sword got," and that without her, the Sword's life is just as finished as hers. Unbelieveably, this works; the Sword apparently listens to what Nariko has to say. In the next instant, Nariko is revived as a goddess, bathed in a glowing white light and wielding the Heavenly Sword: it appears that the clan's prophecy was actually fulfilled 23 years ago after all. Alive once again and this time virtually invulnerable to natural attacks, Nariko begins slaughtering each and every one of Bohan's soldiers remaining in the field of battle. Bohan, meanwhile, looks on helplessly as his army is decimated by a living deity. Knowing it is his only chance, he pleads with the Raven King to grant him the power to defeat Nariko in battle, so that he can finally claim the Sword as his and complete his conquering of the various clans of the land. Amazingly, the Raven King grants this wish; his essence imbues Bohan's body, with the body becoming a vessel of sorts, and the Raven King himself now back in corporeal form. Jumping down from the cliffs above, the Raven King briefly addresses Nariko before initiating battle. What follows is a fight between two living gods reminiscent of the bout between the Heavenly Warrior and the Raven Lord at the beginning of time, with the fight spanning across multiple realms. Eventually, Nariko defeats the Raven King, causing him to leave Bohan's body, but not before pecking Bohan's eyes out and blinding him in order to make the final kill easier for Nariko. Nariko, eager to finally slay the man responsible for so much death and destruction around her, stalks towards Bohan with the Sword drawn. It is then that Roach appears from apparently nowhere to defend Bohan; despite the constant verbal and physically abuse his father has put him through, it appears that Roach is still willing to give his life to protect his father. Witnessing this, Nariko decides to spare Bohan, who finally acknowledges Roach is indeed his son, in order to allow them to return home. Epilogue Exhausted and barely alive, Nariko makes her way back towards the fort, the bodies of the dead strewn all around her. Shen, along with a clansman holding Kai's body, quickly make their way over to her, as Nariko by this point is on the verge of collapse. Shen, witnessing his daughter glowing like a divine warrior sent from Heaven itself, proclaims that she indeed is actually the Heavenly Warrior; the prophecy was misinterpreted by the clan. Nariko replies by stating that she was the one who chose to wield the Sword, and that it in actuality has no more power over people than they are willing to give it. She then crawls over to Kai's body, and with the last of her strength, transfers what little life force she has left into her. This revives Kai completely, but also causes Nariko fall to the ground for good this time. In her final moments of life, Nariko implores Kai to keep the Sword safe by hiding it, so that no one may ever use it again. After asking her father to keep Kai safe in her absence, Nariko stares at Kai one last time before passing on, for good this time. In the following scene, Nariko is depicted with her hair down at full length for the first time, her body covered in rose petals inside of a boat. Shen recites the prophecy that her clan lived by up until that point, before remarking that it was she who led her people to the Promised Land foretold in the aforementioned prophecy. Kai then begins speaking, commenting that while many people over the course of history had bled and died for the Sword, Nariko was the only one who was able to truly master it. She then states, as Nariko's lifeless body floats out into the ocean, that while people may forget the Sword, she will always remember her. ''The Animation Series'' Nariko also appears in Heavenly Sword's Animation Series as a character. She is first depicted in the opening scene of The Legend of the Sword, where she is surrounded by the carnage and destruction wrought by the Sword at her hands. She later makes an appearance in The Day of the Warrior, which chronicles Shen's decision to spare her life instead of taking it as a newborn. This is followed by his training of her before the final scene, which depicts her next to Shen as Bohan commands his army to attack during the final battle. ''PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale'' Nariko makes an appearance in the video game PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale ''as one of the playable characters featured in the game. She has numerous quotes and fighting moves that are references to ''Heavenly Sword, as well as various unlockable outfits that are homages the game's storyline. ''Heavenly Sword (Film) Nariko is portrayed once again in the 2014 film ''Heavenly Sword, where she reprises her role as the wielder of the weapon of the Heavenly Sword. However, this time, her quest comprises of the hunt for Loki, her half-brother and the supposed Heavenly Warrior. Characteristics Personality Because her birth defied the prophesy revolving around the Heavenly Sword, Nariko was continually heaped with scorn and derision from the rest of her clan. The negative attitudes towards her remained even after she had matured to a beautiful and intelligent warrior. Even her father displayed little affection towards her, instead trying making their relationship strictly professional. Despite this, Nariko remained fiercely loyal and protective of her clan and family, and as shown in Chapter Two, she placed herself in considerable personal danger to rescue her clan members. Her cunning and combat prowess would eventually lead to her father trusting her with protecting the Sword. Her fierce determination was so great that by cleverly appealing to the Sword's own ego, she was able to manipulate and convince the Sword to delay her death enough so that she could defeat King Bohan and the Raven King; she controlled the relationship, not the sword. Nariko's closest companion was Kai, a young girl she rescued after Bohan's forces annhilated her people. The two developed a very close relationship, with Kai becoming Nariko's surrogate sister. Their bond is so close that Nariko was willing to risk her life to save Kai's. Abilities Nariko was highly trained in combat, and was among the most capable fighter in her clan. A quick and cunning tactician, she was highly agile, and her lithe figure belies her immense physical strength and remarkable resilience; she was capable of defending herself against multiple assailants and even massively deformed Orangumen. Throughout the game, she demonstrated her proficiency in sword fighting, hand-to-hand combat, rocket attacks, and artillery strikes. When armed with the Heavenly Sword, her combat capabilities were magnified to the point that no single combatant was able to stop her. Depiction Nariko is depicted as a slender young woman of average height with light brown skin and long, flowing red hair that almost reaches to the ground, similar to her mother's hair. She wears a thin, cream-colored and purple-accented robe covered in sakura petals that conceals her midsection, left arm and part of her waist, exposing her midriff and most of her legs. She also wears her clan's traditional sandals with socks that reach up to her calves, as well as leather wraps around both of her hands and an arm band around her right arm. She also appears to wear a head band that allows her to maintain her exceedingly long hair in a manner that doesn't interfere with her when performing actions. In death, she is dressed virtually identically, with the exception being the removal of her headband, revealing the full length of her bright red hair. Trivia *In Japanese, Nariko means "Gentle Child" (ナリコ), a stark contrast from how she is depicted in Heavenly Sword. *Nariko is the only character in the game to retain their voice actor in the film. *Nariko, along with Bohan and Kai, are the only characters to make appearances in multiple video games as well as the film. **Of these, Nariko and Bohan are the only characters to appear in every form of media related to the Heavenly Sword ''series. *Interestingly enough, despite having long, drawn-out battles with each, Nariko does not kill a single boss in any of the battles she has with them: **Flying Fox is killed by Kai with a crossbow bolt to the head. **Whiptail has her neck snapped by Bohan when he goes to retrieve the Sword from her body. **Nariko spares Roach in an effort to chase after Flying Fox. **Nariko spares Bohan after Roach begs her to let them return home at the game's end. **After his defeat in battle, the Raven King exits Bohan's body and flies off into the distance. ***However, in the movie, Nariko is depicted as the killer of Whiptail, alongside Kai. *Nariko's voice actor, Anna Torv, is well-known for her role in the Fox television series ''Fringe, as well as her lead role in the 2017 Netflix original series Mindhunter. Nariko's facial features are also based off that of Torv, who provided motion capture for Nariko during the game's development. *Concept art unlocked during the game's storyline reveals that developers may have originally intended Nariko to be male; he can be seen with body paint adorning his left arm and torso, holding a Longsword. **However, he also bears a striking resemblance to the warrior who retrieves the Heavenly Sword at the end of The Legend of the Sword. **This character may have inspired the appearance of Loki, who is depicted in the 2014 film Heavenly Sword. *To celebrate the release of the game, a series of action figures depicting Nariko wielding the Sword were commissioned, with many still purchasable on various websites such as Amazon and eBay. *Nariko was ranked 18th by ''Complex ''on its "Greatest Video Game Heroines" list in 2013 and was also featured in a 2009 MSN article entitled "Gaming's Hottest Babes." *In certain cutscenes, such as the opening scene and the one following Redemption, Nariko's teeth appear black. **However, this may be due to dramatic effects on her body: in the former scene she was covered in runes, whilst in the latter she was bathed in a bright glowing white light. *Nariko is right-handed. This can only be seen when throwing objects, such as shields or swords, by using Aftertouch. *Nariko, like many characters featured in the ''Heavenly Sword ''series, appears to suffer from some form of mental illness. **Based off her various comments, as well as actions and behaviors both prior to and during the events of the game, Nariko may have a form of Major Depressive Disorder, also known simply as clinical depression. Quotes Gallery Heavenly Nariko Promo.jpg|Promotional art of Nariko. Nariko Concept Art.jpg|Concept art of Nariko. Nariko Heavenly Sword Concept.jpg Nariko-Front-and-Back.jpg|Concept art of Nariko, continued. Nariko-Movie.jpg|Nariko, as depicted in the Film Anna-Torv-As-Nariko.jpg|Anna Torv providing motion-capture for Nariko. References Category:Characters Category:Deceased characters Category:Female characters Category:Protagonists Category:Movie characters Category:Protected articles Category:Animation Series Characters